12% of VOC Emissions Come from Everyday Items Used at Home and Office: Tokyo Study

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) released on June 29, 2010, its estimate of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from the use of products in homes and offices. In an effort to reduce the environmental risks caused by chemicals and photochemical oxidants, TMG has been working to quantify and reduce the total amount of VOC emissions from factories and automobiles. The estimate shows, for the first time, that VOC emissions from homes and offices constitute a relatively high ratio of 12 percent of the total VOC emissions in Tokyo.

Aerosol propellants such as pesticides and hair spray produce the largest proportion of VOC emissions, followed by carwash and repair products, insect repellents, hair coloring products, and deodorizing air fresheners. Major components of the VOCs emitted include ethyl alcohol used in medicines and cosmetics, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) used for aerosol propellants, and paradichlorobenzene in insect repellents.

In order to reduce VOC emissions, TMG highlights the need to tackle the issue on a societal level, saying that manufacturers should develop products with lower levels of VOCs, while consumers and outsourcers should choose products low in VOCs.

The government is appealing to the public to follow product-use guidelines listed on bottles of pesticides and insect repellents, as well as choosing roll-on products or aerosol products that do not use VOCs as a propellant.